Tennis commentator Mark Petchey believes Coco Gauff will be “disappointed” with her 2024 season as the American set herself a high bar with her success last year.
The former British No 1 declared Gauff is “the best athlete that has ever played women’s tennis” and argued this is the reason she has remained at the top this year despite not being at her best.
Gauff claimed titles in Washington, Cincinnati and at the US Open during a stunning run on the North American hard courts in the summer of 2023.
The 20-year-old’s victory at the Auckland Open in January is the only one title she has won since her US Open triumph.
The American was a semi-finalist at both the Australian Open and French Open this year, but she has endured a challenging run this summer.
Gauff has not reached a quarter-final in her last five events and she dropped from third to sixth in the WTA Rankings after her fourth round exit at the 2024 US Open.
Petchey, a former coach of Andy Murray and Emma Raducanu, feels Gauff’s flaws have been “exposed” against elite players this season.
“I think Coco will be disappointed with her season,” Petchey told Bally Casino.
“The problem with any success is that it buys you a bigger problem down the road when you don’t live up to the success the next year. But I’m afraid that’s the bar that the biggest stars in the game set themselves.
“Coco is the lighthouse for American tennis, both on the men’s and the women’s side, despite Taylor Fritz doing so well, she’s going to have to live with that level of scrutiny, and it’s not going to be easy for her.
“However, I think she handles it magnificently. I’m consistently blown away by her maturity in handling this situation for a player so young.
“Coco certainly has some flaws in her game that are going to be found out and exposed against the very best in the game as we have seen this year.
“However, sometimes she’s going to be able to mask them as she did when she won the US Open last year. It is a difficult situation for her, but she will only improve as she gets older and more experienced.”
The former world No 80 went on to stress that he remains positive about Gauff’s prospects moving forward.
“In my opinion, Coco Gauff is the best athlete that has ever played women’s tennis,” Petchey continued.
“I say this despite her serve not being as reliable as you would like it to be for somebody so great, and her forehand at times can be a little bit of a liability, which she needs to work on.
“Despite all this, it’s her athleticism that allows her to stay at the top, and the way that she competes even when she isn’t playing anywhere near her best tennis is off the charts.
“I do think there’ll be a period of reflection at the end of this season for her and she will work on her game as she will know her weaknesses.
“I look forward to seeing what she brings to the table next year as she has her whole career ahead of her, despite already being a major winner.
“There are only good things around the corner for Coco, but this season, as good as it’s still been for her, is a small bump in a long road.”